STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IDENTIFICATION BASED ON THE CURVATURE MATRIX OF THE ACCELERANCE

In this work, a damage identification method based on the curvature-matrix of the Frequency Response Function-FRF is proposed. This is used in the formulation of two indices to predict the damage location and to estimate the severity of the damage in a structure. To evaluate the effectiveness of the method, numerical simulations are performed in different damage scenarios simulated in a one-storey, one-bay frame using Euler-Bernoulli beam elements. The structural damage is simulated by reducing the flexural stiffness of selected elements. The FRF-Accelerance for the undamaged and damaged frame is numerically obtained with the frequencies and mode shapes of the lower modes. The curvature of the FRF is calculated numerically using finite differences, based on an expansion of the Taylor series. The results of the simulations indicate that the proposed method can localize and estimate the damage severity in a one-storey, one-bay frame. The proposed damage indices could be an alternative to the traditional modal analysis methods.